This invention relates generally to a bounce crimper for texturizing a multi-filament yarn of synthetic resinous material. More particularly, this invention concerns an annularly segmented cylindrical can adapted to receive texturized yarn from a bounce crimping device.
Bounce crimping apparatus has been effectively used to texturize a multi-filament yarn of synthetic resinous material. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,887,971 and the other patents cited therein. One particular advantage of such apparatus is the high yarn production rates which are obtained with its use.
In the crimping section of the apparatus, a heated compressible fluid such as steam heats the individual filaments and accelerates the yarn in its longitudinal direction. Typically, the heated compressible fluid is itself accelerated by passing through a restricted orifice so that a high velocity jet is obtained. The jet then drives the yarn and causes acceleration thereof toward a foraminous surface extending across a channel.
The yarn is hurled against the foraminous surface causing individual filaments to be axially compressed and laterally crimped. The yarn, now texturized, rebounds from the screen and passes out of a lateral yarn outlet while most of the compressible fluid goes through the foraminous surface and is discharged from a fluid outlet.
The texturized yarn is cooled prior to being subjected to longitudinal tension to enhance retention of the crimps induced by the bounce crimper assembly. If desired, it also may be subjected to a heat setting treatment in a tensionless state to further enhance crimp performance. Conventionally, the yarn is then collected by a suitable winding mechanism.
One type of device often used to store the yarn in a tensionless state while it is being set to fix the crimp is a J-box into which the highly texturized yarn falls after its passage through the bounce crimping apparatus, prior to collection by the winding mechanism. The use of a J-box, however, requires that the average yarn input and output rates be equal, and this in turn limits the crimping speed to the maximum practical operating speed of the particular winder that is available.
The J-box storage unit also provides a limit on the time of yarn storage in the tensionless state, assuming of course that the input and withdrawal rates are constant. This limit is related to the dimensions of the J-box and is not subject to easy adjustment during operation of the equipment. Hence, changes in heat setting time are not readily achievable independently of the rate at which the yarn moves through the crimping head.
There are other environments where continuous lengths of textile materials need to be stored, and in at least some of these, cans are sometimes used to receive the material. See for example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,924,001. And, in the case of slivers issuing from carding machines, steps have been taken to control the deposit of the slivers so that they will be disposed in the sliver cans in a predetermined arrangement which facilitates endwise withdrawal of the sliver as it is being sent to a subsequent processing step. See for example, the description of such a system at page 235 of American Cotton Handbook, 2nd edition, by Gilbert R. Merrill et al, published in 1949 by Textile Book Publishers, Inc. of New York, New York.
However, the techniques employed in these other systems are not directly applicable to the handling of bounced crimped yarns that have loose, crimped, filaments projecting from their surfaces. These filaments are the source of a marked tendency toward entanglement of different yarn portions. Yarn-to-yarn entanglement often requires cutting of the yarn to remove the entanglement followed by splicing of the yarn to attain substantial continuity of its length. Accordingly, the entangled yarn which is excised must be scrapped causing economic waste.
Accordingly, a need continues to exist for an improved system for collecting texturized yarn of synthetic resinous material from a bounce crimping apparatus at high speed without substantial entanglement.